Improvement in railroad-tickets and punch for cutting



NINETEEN CENTS CHANGE.

NJEI'ERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHEH. WASHINGTON. D CV VUNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

HENRY M. STOW, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-TICKETS AND PUNCH FOR CUTTING- COUPONSTI-IERBI'ROM.

Specification forming part. of Letters Patent No. 85,409,'dateclDecember 29, 1868.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY M. STOW, of SanFrancisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Tickets, and in aninstrument for cutting coupons therefrom and preserving the same; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a representation of a coupon pouch-ticket made in pursuanceof my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of my improvedinstrument for cutting off and preserving coupons. Fig. 3 is a view of adetective-lock which I apply to said instrument 5 and Fig. 4 is arepresentation of another coupon-ticket, adapted to use in connectionwith my instrument, but on which no invention is claimed.

My invention is especially adapted to use on city-railroad cars, but maybe used on any conveyances for carrying passengers, by land or water, oron toll-gate roads, or for other similar purposes.

One of the great difficulties which streetrailroad companies havehitherto had to contend with is the dishonesty of conductors in failingto account faithfully for the fares collected by them on their routes.My invention is intended to obviate this difliculty, as well as greatlyto facilitate the making of change by the conductors. To this end Iprovidea system of pouch coupon-tickets, as follows: Each ticket isprinted on one side of a small paper pouch, as represented in Fig. 1.Each of said pouch-tickets contains, securely pasted in it, an amount'ofmoney corresponding with some one of the denominations of small currencyin common use, less .one fare, as ten cents, twenty-five cents, fiftycents, Ste., and each has a coupon printed on one corner or one end,with figures thereon representing the amount of money contained in thepouch, with the price of one fare added. For instance, if the fare besix cents, the ten-cent pouches will each contain four cents change, butthe gures on the coupon will indicate ten cents; the twenty-ive-centpouches will contickets, or tickets containing no change, the

gures on the coupons of which represent the price of one fare. Thesetickets are to be issued or given out by the conductor only on hisroute. Tickets issued by thev company,

and not given out by the conductor, should have Acoupons differing. incolor, or in some other way, from the conductors tickets, so as to bereadilydistinguishable therefrom.

The instrument hereinafter described (resembling a common ticket-punch)severs the coupon from the ticket, and deposits it (the coupon) in alocked box attached to the instrumenti, from which it cannot be removedwithout unlocking the box.

If a passenger gives the conductor the exact amount of one fare, theconductor hands him a blank ticket, (containing no change,) firstcutting off the coupon. If the passenger pays in ten cents, twenty-fivecents, fty cents, or one dollar, the conductor will give him apouch-ticket containing the proper change, iirst cutting off the coupon,which is automatically deposited in the locked box of the instrument.

On his return the conductor i delivers his instrument-to the properclerk or officer, who unlocks the box and takes the coupons therefrom,and the coupons cut from the conductors tickets (which, as beforestated, must be distinguishable from the coupons of tickets issued bythe company) will show the exact amount of money which the conductor hasto pay over,

and the tickets on hand will show how many` and of what denominations hehas sold. It is manifest that it will be impossible for the conductor toappropriate any money to his own use Without detection, except byreceiving fare and giving no ticket therefor, and this could not bepracticed to any considerable extent without detection.

I will now proceed to describe the instru'- ment by means of which thecoupons are cut off and preserved.

The instrument consists of two limbs, A and B, riveted together at c,like a pair of scissors, and of certain attachments, hereinafterdescribed. The front ends ol' these limbs form two jaws, A and B.

The jaw A has a cutting-head, H, attached thereto, having a face of thesize and form of the coupon to be severed from the ticket. The lower jawB has an aperture, b, through it, into which the cutting-head H willclosely fit, so that when a piece of paper or card islaid over saidaperture, and the cutting-head forced down so as slightly to enter thesame, it will shear out a piece of the size and shape of the face ofsaid cutting-head. Immediately below said aperture Z1 is a box, E, whichopens outward, turning upon a hinge, a, and which is secured in theposition shown in the drawings by means of a hasp and staple, d, and thedetective-lock hereinafter described, or any other suitable lock orfastening.

A sliding guard-pl ate, s, covers the aperture b and the box E when theinstrument is opened, but recedes out ot' the way of the cutting-headwhen the jaws close. This sliding plat-e s is operated by a bow-sprin g,(l, between the handles of the instrument, being connected thereto by aconnecting rod or wire, e. YVhen the handles are forced together toclose the jaws, the middle portion ofthe spring C necessarily bul gesout rearward, carrying the sliding plate s back out of the way of thecuttinghead, and when the pressure upon the handles is released thespring C throws them apart, resuming the position shown in the drawing,and in so doing pushes the guard-plate back, so as to cover the apertureb and the box E.

The connecting-rod e has a bracket or stirrup, c', embracing both limbsof the instrument where they cross each other, and the length of thisbracket limits the movement of the spring G, and consequently the extentto which the jaws may open and close. u y

Instead of the spring C to operate the sliding plate s, a toggle may besubstituted, as shown in the drawing; but in thatcase a spring ofsomekind would be necessary to throw open the jaws ofthe instrument.

Attached to the lower jaw ofthe instrument is a sheet-metal case orshield, l), into which the cutting-head H lits. l The front end and onesideof this case D has a narrow opening, i, at the base, to allow apiece of paper or cardboard to be inserted over the aperture b, and saidcase or shield renders it impracticable to remove a coupon from the boxwithout unlocking and opening it.

An e3 e-pointed need1e,j, is screwed intothe center of the bottom of thebox E, its point extending through an open slot in the sliding plate s,and up into a hole, j', in the face of the cutting-head H when the jawsare closed.

The operation of the instrument is as fellows: Thejaws being open, asshown in the drawing, the corner of the ticket on which the coupon isprinted is inserted in the opening t', so as to be immediately over thesliding plate s, and under the face of the cutting-head. 'lliejaws oftheinstrument are then brought together by griping the handles, the slidingplate s at the same time receding out of the way of the cutting-head,the face ot' which slightly enters the aperture b, severing the couponand forcing it down upon the needle j. As the jaws open, the slidingplate s moves forward,.so as to close the box in which the coupon hasbeen deposited. Vhen it is desired to remove the coupons from the boxthey may be all instantly strung together by passing a thread throughthe eye in the point of the needle and withdrawing the needle rearwardthrough the bottom ofthe box.

As a cheap and convenient means ot' securing the box E, so that thecoupons cannot be tampered with by the conductor without de-` tection, Ihave devised a detective-lock, consistin g of a narrow strip of paper orthin pasteboard passed through the staple, and the two ends fastenedtogether by means of a metallic eyelet, such as is in common use forfastening papers together, or by any similar paper clasp or fastenerwhich cannot be removed without tearing the paper. Strips ot' thinleather,

parchment, or other suitable materialmay be used instead of paper. v

Before 4the instrument is delivered to the conductor at the commencementof his trip, it is thus locked, and when returned by him for the purposeof delivering up the coupons,`

it is unlocked by breaking the strip of paper or other material used.

It is manifest that the conductor cannot unlock and relock theinstrument on his route without being provided with eyelets and aneyelet-punch.` Tickets issued by the company containing no change(which, as before stated, should' have coupons easily distinguishablefrom those given out by conductors) may have a number of coupons oneach, as shown in Fig. 4. Vhen y one of these tickets is handed to theconductor he cuts oil one coupon and returns the ticket to thepassenger. y

Where there are several street-railroads in the same city, each chargingthe same rate of fare, it has been found a great convenience to make anarrangement by which each road will receive for fare the tickets issuedby each of the other roads, the com panies having periodical times forsettlement, by exchanging tickets and paying balances.

The companies may issue tickets having coupons exactly alike, except incolor, or they may otherwise vary, so as to be easily distin guishable,provided they areall of the same size. My instrument is admirablyadapted to 'this system, as when the conductor delivers up his couponsthey may be instantly strung' togetherand laid aside to be assorted atany convenient time.

In making the pouch-tickets hereinbefore described, at the end on whichthe coupon is printed the two sheets should be closely pasted togetherthe whole width of the coupon, to prevent any change from getting in theWay of the cutting-bead, and also because two sheets pasted togetherwill be easier cut by 4my instrument than a single sheet.

Instead of having a lock-box to receive and retain the coupons as theyare cut ofi", the box may be dispensed with, and the needle j may besupported, by a stirrup, skeletonframe, or other equivalent device,under the cutting-head, so that it will pierce and retain upon :it eachcoupon as it is severed from the ticket, in the same manner as shown anddescribed, except that the coupons will not be inclosed in a box. Inthis case the conductor will all the time have access to the couponsthat have been cut oft1 5 but, as he would be required to account forall the tickets delivered to him, he could have no pecuniary inducementto abstract or destroy the coupons.

Having thus fully described my invention, and the several modes ofcarrying it into edect, what I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. A pouch-ticket adapted to contain change,

`with a coupon printed thereon or attached thereto, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with an instrument for severing coupons andautomatically depositing them in a box or other receptacle,substantially as described, a needle so located in the box or otherreceptacle that it will perforate and retain upon it each coupon as itis deposited, and which, on being with-- drawn, will draw a threadthrough all -the said coupons, as set forth.

3. In combination with an instrument for severing coupons andautomatically depositing them in a box or other receptacle,substantially as described, a sliding cover to such box or otherreceptacle, which will automatically slide over the box or otherreceptacle, and close it when the jaws of the instrument open, andrecede from said box when the jaws close, the same being operatedsubstantially as herein described.

4. In combination with an instrument for severing coupons from tickets,substantially as described, a needle so located in relation to thecutting-head, or other equivalent cutting` device,'that it will pierceand retain upon it each coupon as it is cut oft', and so constructed andarranged that, by Withdrawing it from said coupons, it Will draw athread through all of them, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

5. In combination with the cutting-head and retaining-box hereindescribed, the case or shield D, substantially as and for the purposeset forth. l

HENRY M. STOW.

v Witnesses:

J. J.-CooMu3s, J. L. CooMBs.

